Share this Page

Boro finish home campaign with draw

Date published: Monday 24th August 2015 1:13

Scott McDonald netted his 18th goal of the season seven minutes after the break for the hosts but it was cancelled out soon after by Aron Gunnarsson.
Boro boss Gordon Strachan made four changes to the side which lost at West Brom a week ago with Luke Williams making his full debut, Jeremie Aliadiere returning from injury and a first start in three months for Chris Riggott.
Chris Coleman fielded the same Sky Blues XI that drew with Preston at the Ricoh Arena last time out.
It was a tentative start from both teams but the first real chance of the game fell to 16-year-old Williams, who was causing the visitors all sorts of trouble with his pace down the right.
The Boro striker collected the ball out wide, cut inside and rifled a shot towards goal, bringing a full-stretch save from Republic of Ireland international Keiren Westwood.
The hosts were starting to build some good pressure and Williams sent Justin Hoyte clear, but the Boro defender could only smash the ball across the face of goal from a tricky angle.
Coventry, who had lost – and failed to score in – their last three away matches, had clearly opted to keep things tight and showed little adventure in going forward.
But what they did do was to pepper the Boro box with a series of testing crosses, but Strachan’s 27th different back four of the season stood firm and Brad Jones was rarely troubled.
And when they finally did carve out an opening, City defender Richard Wood failed to work Jones when his header dropped wide of the right-hand post in the 33rd minute.
Freddy Eastwood was denied twice by Jones, while Stephen Wright did well to get himself in the way of a goal-bound Aliadiere shot as half-time approached.
Chances were coming thick and fast and the deadlock was finally broken in the 52nd minute when the home side raced downfield and a tame cross from Aliadiere was not dealt with by the Coventry defence.
McDonald capitalised on their indecision, turned well inside the box and fired beyond Westwood and into the roof of the net.
But just six minutes later midfielder Gunnarsson pulled his side level, lashing the ball beyond Jones after Stephen Wright’s snap-shot had been blocked by the Boro stopper.
The home side did rally and threw everything forward in search of a winner but Coventry’s defence held firm.